1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to telecommunications patching systems that are used to selectively interconnect various telecommunications lines to one another with patch cords. More particularly, the present invention relates to telecommunication patching systems that embody patch cord tracing capabilities that help a technician locate the opposite ends of a specific patch cord within the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many businesses have dedicated telecommunication systems that enable computers, telephones, facsimile machines and the like to communicate with each other, through a private network, and with remote locations via a telecommunications service provider. In most buildings, the dedicated telecommunications system is hard wired using telecommunication cables that contain conductive wire. In such hard wired systems, dedicated wires are coupled to individual service ports throughout the building. The wires from the dedicated service ports extend through the walls of the building to a telecommunications closet or closets. The telecommunications lines from the interface hub of a main frame computer and the telecommunication lines from external telecommunication service providers are also terminated within the telecommunications closets.
A patching system is used to interconnect the various telecommunication lines within the telecommunications closet. In a telecommunications patching system, all of the telecommunication lines are terminated within the telecommunications closet in an organized manner. The organized terminations of the various lines are provided via the structure of the telecommunications closet. Within the telecommunications closet is typically located a mounting frame. On the mounting frame is connected a plurality of racks. The telecommunications lines terminate on the racks, as is explained below.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical prior art rack 10 is shown. The rack 10 retains a plurality of patch panels 12 that are mounted to the rack 10. On each of the patch panels 12 are located port assemblies 14. The port assemblies 14 each contain six RJ-45 telecommunication connector ports 16.
Each of the different telecommunication connector ports 16 is hard wired to one of the system""s telecommunications lines. Accordingly, each telecommunications line is terminated on a patch panel 12 in an organized manner. In small patch systems, all telecommunications lines may terminate on the patch panels of the same rack. In larger patch systems, multiple racks are used, wherein different telecommunications lines terminate on different racks.
In the shown embodiment of FIG. 1, the interconnections between the various telecommunications lines are made using patch cords 20. Both ends of each patch cord 20 are terminated with connectors 22, such as an RJ-45 telecommunication connector or a RJ-11 telecommunications connector. One end of the patch cord 20 is connected to the connector port 16 of a first telecommunications line and the opposite end of the cord is connected to the connector port 16 of a second telecommunications line. By selectively connecting the various lines the patch cords 20, any combination of telecommunications lines can be interconnected.
In many businesses, employees are assigned their own computer network access number exchange so that the employee can interface with the companies main frame computer or computer network. When an employee changes office locations, it is not desirable to provide that employee with new exchange numbers. Rather, to preserve consistency in communications, it is preferred that the exchanges of the telecommunication connection ports in the employee""s old office be transferred to the telecommunications ports in the employees new office. To accomplish this task, the patch cords in the telecommunication closet are rearranged so that the employee""s old exchanges are now received in his/her new office.
As employees, move, change positions, add lines and subtract lines, the patch cords in a typical telecommunications closet are rearranged quite often. The interconnections of the various patch cords in a telecommunications closet are often logged in either paper or computer based log. However, technicians often neglect to update the log each and every time a change is made. Inevitably, the log is less than 100% accurate and a technician has no way of reading where each of the patch cords begins and ends. Accordingly, each time a technician needs to change a patch cord, that technician manually traces that patch cord between two connector ports. To preform a manual trace, the technician locates one end of a patch cord. The technician then manually follows the patch cord until he/she finds the opposite end of that patch cord. Once the two ends of the patch cord are located, the patch cord can be positively identified.
It takes a significant amount of time for a technician to manually trace a particular patch cord. Furthermore, manual tracing is not completely accurate and technicians often accidently go from one patch cord to another during a manual trace. Such errors result in misconnected telecommunication lines which must be later identified and corrected.
In order for a tracing system to work in an automated fashion, the tracing system must embody some mechanism for automatically detecting when a patch cord has been added to or detached from a specific connector port. In co-pending patent application Ser. No. 09/247,270, entitled, Method And Device For Detecting The Presence Of A Patch Cord Connector In A Telecommunications Patch System, a tracing system is disclosed that used mechanical switches and linkages to detect the presence or absence of a patch cord in a connector port. Although the mechanical switches can be effectively used to detect the presence or absence of a patch cord in a connector port, mechanical switches contain parts that wear out over time. Accordingly, mechanical based systems must be periodically maintained or replaced.
Furthermore, mechanical switches are positioned in fixed locations. Accordingly, theses switches can only detect patch cords having end terminations of a specific shape. If different patch cords are used, the mechanical switches may not be activated by the different patch cord. All the mechanical switches would then have to be replaced or adjusted.
A need therefore exists in the field of telecommunication patching systems for a system that can trace, detect and identify the ends of each patch cord in a telecommunications closet in an automated fashion, without using mechanical switches that can wear out over time or become obsolete by a change in patch cord design.
The present invention is part of patch cord tracing system for tracing patch cords in a telecommunications patching system. The system includes a plurality of tracing interface modules that attach to the patch panels in a telecommunications closet. On the patch panels in a telecommunications closet are located a plurality of connector ports that receive the terminated ends of patch cords. The tracing interface modules mount to the patch panels and provide a passive sensor that can detect when a patch cord connector has been added to, or removed from, a connector port within the telecommunications closet. Accordingly, by connecting a computer controller to the various passive sensors, the computer controller can monitor and log all changes to the patch cord interconnections in an automated fashion.
In alternate embodiments, the passive sensors can be built into the structure of the patch port assemblies that contain the various connector ports. Such alternate embodiments are for newly manufactured telecommunication patch systems and are not readily adapted to existing systems.